Metal tie



l ll

. I.. VARNER.

METAL TIE.

FILED JUNE 27.1922.

Jan 9., 1923..

A TTOH/I/EVS llfatentetl lain il, y

retirar. rin.

'vlipplication filed fune 1922. Serial lilo. ti'l,lll5.

To all whom it may concer/1t:

lie it known that l, lllnnmin: L. Wannen, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Pratt City, in the county of Jefferson and State of lllabannn have invent il tain new and useful linproveniente in lil/etal Ties, of which the 'lolliinvingr is a specification.

ll/ly invention is a combined tie` and rail fastener, and it consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements herein described and claimed.

lin object of my invention is to provide a simple and effective ineens for supporting a pair of rails in parallel. Al` cion and for securely holdingu the rails to ,einige and `against spreading.

il further object is to provide a device of the character described which affords `means for holding); the rails `in such manner as to permit longitudinal movement of the rails, if required, without allowing; any lateral movement of the rails or an over turning' or rotation of the rails about their respe Ve longitudinal axes,

il further object .is to provide a device of the character described which includes means for supporting spaced parallel rails and for detachably securino` the rails the stnjnpiortingi means without the use of bolts, spikes or like fastening` elements.

still fin-ther object of iny invention is to provide a device of the character de. scribed which is streitig;` and durable and is not likely to `get out of orifier easily in .service i Other objectsl and :nlvanl'ages will `be apparent from the following desfzription and the novel features of the invention will be particularly outlined in `the claims.

lilly invention is illustrated in the accompanying;- drawings, forming a part of this application, in whichM i Figure l is a perspective View slimving;- a

pair of rails applied to a device einbodying` the invention,

Figure` 2 is a top plan view,` showingl a tie in the device together with a portion of the rail superimposed thereon and held by one `of the rail fastening ineens associated with the tie, the `other of the rail fastening' means associated with the 1 s being," shown in position to permit the placingy of a seccer` append edl along the line Sw-5 Figure G is a slightly enlarged fl'aginentary ierspecti ve View, showing a rail supporting' portion of a channel meinber ont prised in the tie exhibited 'in F l to 3 inclusive and .in liignre 5. l

lin catrying` out my invention, l provide a tie or sleeper il which conipr'ses a longitudiinal member EZ rectangular in cross sec tion and preferably made of wood. 'lClle incniberlor section 2 is adapted to rest upon a supporting surface, such as the ,ground or a prepared foundation of ballast and the like, as indicated at 3, and is partially encased by a nfietallic member 4l: which substantinally `channel or lll-shaped in cross sectional contour and is co-extensive in length with the rneniber 2. 'lhe sides or flanges of the channel member 4l straddle the ineinbei.' 2 and the web portion of the member fl is disposed in flatwise parallel re- .lation to the upper face of the member il, beine; slightly spaced from and held above the latter by means which will be (flescribed hereinafter.

'lllie web of the channel ineniber l includes" relatively depressed portions 5--5 which `extend transversely thereof in spaced relation and lie in a plane parallel with the face of the web and below the level of the latter. 'lhe depressed portions 5 may be 'foi-ined by making,1 kerfs across the web portion and downwardly a slight distance into the flanges of the channel member to pro 'vide a tongue which 1s severed at one end from one of the flanges of the channel mene v the side S.

-tions 5 through the openino'f .tion oi? each clip v.ina-de in the "web l the width ot the web are provided between the adjacent edges oi the depresse; portions and ot the inajor portion or body of the web.

The depressed portions serve as bridges `for supporting `pairs of rail clips 6*(5. Each rail clip or rail engaging elementis substantially oi"l inverted ulshape or in other words consists ot a right a` "ular portion having` sides 7 and il respec ifely, and an extension 9 which extends 'trein the juncture of the sides 7 and S and lies in the plane ot Thewvidth of 'the extension 9 is considerably less than the lengt-h ot the 'sides and and the extensions f) are adapted to be projected troni above the depressed por- Y Ds betweenl the side edges ol'l the depressed portion and o' the body et the web whereas the angle portoe longfto be nioved through such openings. Froni thek iforegoing description oit the various parts or the devieeg the operation thereof may be readily understood. 'rl. pair ot' the rail clips or rail engaging elements 6 are arranged in superiniiriosed position' upon each ot the bridge portions 5 with the sides S thereof in abiti-ing' relation in vrespect to eaeh other and with the ends thereoiI extendbeyond the ends o'l" vthe bridge portion and thus being' supported 'by the flanges ot the channel-member as well as upon thev bridge. l

The extensions 9' are proiected through the openings between the adpicent edges et tliebridffe and the bed'7 o'l' 'the web and Y J. A extend in underlying relation to the latter as best seen in Figure B'sothat the upstanding' sides 'i' oit the pair-oi? rail. clips extend transversely ot the web in abutting relation lto the edges ot the body of the web at opposite sides oit the bridge7 the ends ot the upstanding side i' and ot the. horizontal side P extendingjbeyond the -juncture oiI the web with the ilanges tl'ioreot7 as stated, 'lt will be understood that the apertures whieh were to extend transversely thereof and to perinit oi: Jthe portions 5 being,` depressed, as described, are spaced apart so that rails lllJi() will bepositioned in proik'ierlyspaced parallel relation when disposed upon the side portions S ot thepair of rail clips resting upon each bridge or depressed portionv 5. The rails lO-lO will be 'held against spreading or lateral niovenient relatively to the channel-member when the upstanding sides '7' of the clips resting upon each bridge are bent inwardly and downwardly against the hase flange oi the rail at opposite sides of the latter to clamp the rail to the horizontal sides S-S of the clips. ln Figures 2 and 3, the upstanding; sides ot one of the pairs ot rail clips exhibited therein are shown in embracing' or clamping' relation to a rail while the upstandingr sides of the other pair of railclips illustrated are shown in vertical position to permit ot a rail beingr conveniently placed transversely7 olf the chaunel-ineniber to extend between the upstanding sides 'Ze-T and in superimposed relation to the horizontal sides S-S rlhe channel nieinber lis provided with openings il through the web thereo't adapted to engage with spikes l! which are driven therethrough into the underlying nieniber i2. .The ineinbers fl and 2 are thus secured together and :torni the tie provided by niy inrention. 'il ie openings ll are preferably adjacent to the transverse apertures in which the rail clips are disposed.

The un ler section of the tie boing( niade et' wfiod, shocks and jars imparted to the lio are absorbed wi 'bout oecasiiiniup any uudue strain or weer on the devine. The lower niost section oi: the tie. whirh is ot wood. is partially encased by a metalli(VA section` as described, and a tie provided by my invention therelfore more durable and stronger lhan a tie `which is n'lade entirely oi" womb whil at the saine tinie in v improved device inrludos a tio whirh is 'tree l'roui tho olrieetionable 'features ol" ties which arel made entirely ol' uietal. The rail astoninyj .eans Cannot be moved troni applied position on the tie when in rail suluiortiner and engaging' position but can be readily ronioved Yfrom and applied to the tio when not in rail engraiinif,` position and the rails have been niored out ot superimposed position.

Vbviously, roy inreution suseeptible ot embodiment in 'liornis other than that illus trated in the accorgipanyingr drawings and l therefore oonsidef as in v own all modifications ot the tornis ot the device disolosed herein., which 'fairly tall within the scopo ol the appended claims.

.l claim:-

l. A. device o't the character desi'ribed comprising' a tie element niade ot metal and being si'ibstantially of chaimei-shape` the web portion thereol being' horizontally disposed and uppermost said tie element l|av inp; trani-weise apertures toi-ined through' the web portion thereof at spared apart points` and pairs ot rail 'fastening' elements supported wtl'iin said apertures and boing' adapted to clanipingly embrace rails. said rail fastening' elements having' portions extending in engagement with the underside or" the web portion and holdinpr the 'lastening elements against niovenient relatively to the tie element when in embracing relation to said rails, and a wooden tio element pal'- ti ally eneaed by the channel-shaped element and providing; a support tor the latter.

2. A device of the elnufaetor dosoribed Comprising' a tie eleniont inade ot metal and being` substantially oic channelshape, the web portion thereof being horizontally disiliosed and uppermost, said tie element havtransverse apertures torined through the ifi-linea of the web portion and holding the fastening elementsagainst movement relatively to the tie element when in embracing relation to said rails, a wooden tie element partially encased by the channel-shaped element and providing a support for the latter, and means securing the metallic tie element to the underlying wooden tie element.

ln a device of the character described,

la tie element consisting of alongitudinal metallic channel member having an aperture extending transversely through 'the web portion of the channel member, and a pair of rail engaging elements having portions extending in underlying contiguous relation to the web of the channel member from 0pposite edges of the aperture and having other portions extending upwardly through the aperture at opposite sides of a rail superimposed thereon, said last-named portions of the fastening element being adapted to be bent into embracing relation to the base flange of the rail and said lirst portions of the rail fastening elements being adapted to engage the web portion of the channel member to prevent movement of the rail fastening elements relatively to the channelmember when theupper portions thereof are in engagementwith the rail. y

ll. ln a device of the character described, a tie element, consisting of a metallic channel shaped member, said channel member having a transverseportion of the web there-` of relatively depressed, thereby defining an aperturein the web and a bridge extending between the flanges of the channel member, and a pair of rail engaging elements, each `rail engaging element being of inverted. "l

shape and having a portion thereof superiinposed upon the bridge and extending at its ends laterally of the channel member, and another portion extending vbetween the adjacent edgesof the bridge and the body of the `web in underlying relation to the latter and an upstanding portion projecting above the plane of the body of the web ad jacent to one edge of the aperture, the upstanding portions of a pair of yrail fasten* ing elements being adapted to straddle the base flange of the rail and to be bent inwardly and downwardly into embracing relation thereto, whereby the pair of rail fastening elements will be held against movement relatively to the channel-member and the rail also will be held against lateral movement relatively to the channelniember` 5. ln a device of the character described. a tie element of inverted channel-shape, said tie element having a portion relatively depressed in respect to the plane of the web thereof and extending transversely of the tie element, said depressed portion being severed at its side edges from the remainder of the web of the tie element, and rail fastening elements resting upon the depressed portion and adapted to have a rail superimposed thereon, said rail fastening elements having portions extending' into engagement with the under sides of the portions of the web at opposite sides of the depressed portion and having other portions extending upwardly above the plane of said web and being adapted for engagement with the rail at opposite sides of the latter, as and for the purpose set forth.

WlLlJlAlll LAWRENCE VARNER. 

